Review: Emma Hardie Moringa Amazing Face Cleansing Balm

Oh. My. God. Seriously, I can't believe it took me this long to get on the Moringa Cleasing Balm bandwagon! I must admit, I was very skeptical about cleansing my oily face with oils! After just one use, I was a convert! Never again is my skin being touched by foaming cleansers, never!

How To: Clear Skin Part Three

Hello Everybody!

Here is the third, and last part of my clear skin series!

The last step, but certainly not least, is moisturize!

It is my believe that moisturizers should be very non-fuzz, basic, and dependable. I, for one, spend the most money on serums and treatments not moisturizers. I am not saying moisturizing is not important, only that I like a much simpler product, and typically simple=more affordable. I also have several different moisturizers in my rotation that are specific for my skin type, as should you.

How To: Clear Skin Part Two

As promised, here is part two of my clear skin series.

Next up, tone and treat!

I am a firm believer that if you do a deep and proper cleanse at least once daily, there is absolutely no need to use a toner. However, it is totally up to you. I like to use a rosewater toner decanted into a spray bottle and use that straight after my shower. The reason why, you may ask? I like how it smells! I spray it liberally over my face, neck and decolletage as a treat to myself, not as anything else. I don't believe it does anything special or offer any benefits to my skin. Anyway, straight after cleansing/toning it is time to treat any problem bits you may have. This is where you will use targeted treatments such as anti-agers, lightening creams, concentrates or serums. I am also a firm believer that this is where the bulk of your money should be spent. You will find in the list below some items that have a heftier price tag, and in my opinion worth every cent. There are quite a few items in my rotation and range from anti-ageing to (mostly) skin-brighteners and spot-lightning treatments.

Latest Acquisition: La Roche Posay, Marchesa, Murad, Essence..etc.

Hello Everyone!!

I just got back from good ol' Ulta and made some spur-of-the-moment purchases and a bit more damage than I'd like to admit. Moving on, please!!

How To: Clear Skin Part One

Hello Everybody!


I've decided it is time for a skincare how-to mini series. I will go over what I am doing at the moment and will provide product recommendations that I have truly tried and that have worked for me. This will be the first of three parts that will be posted every Sunday!

Bioderma in Mexico!!

Hello Everybody!

This will be a cheap and cheerful post!  I forgot to tell you about it on Thursday, which is when all of this happened. Anyway, on we go!

Random Post #2 and #3

Random post #2
I meant to post this last week and for some reason it didn't get posted. So weird. Anyway here it is.

As I am standing, looking like an insane mom of four toddlers, feeling like a train just ran over me, all I am thinking of is that I really would like to cut my hair very short, and dye it some light brown color. Oddly enough, this is something that usually occurs for spring or fall for some people, but no, I am unique! So there you are, cutting my hair and dying my virgin locks a light brown! ha!


Random post #3

I am having a bit of a rough start of the week, my baby puppy became very ill with Parvovirus and has been at the vet's since Wednesday of last week. I was called by the vet this morning and was informed she is deteriorating very rapidly again and in his medical opinion, it would be best for Cleopatra that I put her to sleep being that she is in so much pain and even if she did recover she would be very likely to have long term damage to her intestines, heart, and possibly brain due to the severe dehydration.

As of the wee early hours of this morning, Grandma is also in the hospital with some heart problems and will be there for the foreseeable future.

On top of that I have a huge exam tomorrow morning that I haven't had the chance to study for, completely forgot that I was supposed to teach this morning because I was at the hospital with my grandma and even more mind boggling is the fact that I haven't received any angry student emails yet. Scary business, students are.

Something that keeps running through my mind and the reason for this random post is how dry my skin feels, and how dry-but-not-quite-chapped my lips are at the moment. Quite bizarre. Anyway, I just ordered some moisturizing bits including a facial spray, lip scrub, and some dedicated facial moisturizer.  

I will let you know which ones I ordered when they arrive!

Much love,

Mireya G.

Latest Acquisiton: Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede Cologne

Hello lovelies!

I am feeling quite amorous today and so I wanted to share one of my fall must-haves! A you can see from the title, it is also one of my most recent purchases! I must admit, purchasing the Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede Cologne was a big moment for me since it was my first ever Jo Malone acquisition, a huge leap of faith because I had never smelled it before, and it is almost twice the price of all my other fragrances. I usually draw the line at around $50-$60 US dollars which believe you me stretches far more than you'd think. More on that later!

Latest Acquisition: StriVectin SD Eye Concentrate

I hope you all get to read this before the promotion is over, which I have no idea when that will be. I ran out of my eye cream about a week ago, and have been putting off repurchasing one until today. I woke up, feeling tired, and on top of that looking terrible! I feel my under eye area to be very dry and definitely need to do something about that.

Latest Acquisition: Zara Office City Bag

Being a pseudo-graduate student, you are in need to carry loads and loads of papers, technology, and other essentials around with you all the time plus any personal bits you need. You MUST be prepared for anything and everything that may be thrown your way! Not exactly, but certainly does help if you are!

Fall 2013 Trends

Just finished flipping through Marie Claire about five seconds ago! I loved most of the magazine, but some trends did leave me quite curious as to what designers are thinking.

Top 5 trends:

1. Cara Delevingne!  I was half surprised to find Cara in loads of adverts and fashion edits looking quite fabulous as usual. 
2. Bold red lips. It wasn't much of a surprise as this year has been very lippy. The particular trend is bold dark red lips. Think rich burgundy, beautiful deep rose, and so on.  I have been waiting for so long to wear my Julie Hewett Sin lip color, and I am so excited to finally be able to do it without feeling like a total weirdo amongst nude lipped women. Very excited about this trend!!
3. Colorful fur. I am quite confused by this trend. It seems every page had some kind of colorful fur booties, coat, or head piece on it particularly from Fendi. This is an unusual feeling for me since I usually love everything from them. Can't really afford it, but absolutely love most their collections! I haven't had time to read up on their inspiration, or reasoning behind it, but either way, hardly seems wearable for the average Jane. They did have some lovely investment pieces, though. Totally worth looking into!
4. Oil paint everything. I had an array of emotions when I first saw them. They're so, very beautiful pieces, you'd be wearing pieces of art across your body with beautiful colors and textures! I dont think it would be very convinient and hardly think anybody would wear that particular piece more than once, perhaps twice, certainly not more than that. I do love them though. 
5. Jeweled crowns. Perhaps this ties in to point number four, it was probably part of the theatrics of things, and honestly I think it was brilliant! Having said that, and since I do love anything jewel tone, jewels, or anything sparkly, I am translating this trend into chunky jewel tone necklaces, and bracelets in nice, rich gold tone hardware. 

So there you are, nice and short! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Love,

Mireya G.

How To: Makeup Starter Kit

I know I'm a bit late for this post, I am really sorry. I honestly wanted to get this published before school started, but I genuinely didn't have the time to do it. To prove it, I am typing this like a mad woman, on a very late Thursday evening, bordering on Friday morning. I suppose I have some 'splaining to do, which promise I will, on another post later this weekend! 

How To: Eyeliner look without eyeliner

This is such a pretty look for school, or weekends. The finished result is super fresh, and bright! Absolutely love it!!

How To: Red Lips

In my younger years, I always found red lips to be quite difficult for me. Perhaps it was because I didn't know how to without looking like a woman of ze night, never found the right shade for my skin tone, my mother would have murdered me, etc. Whatever the reason may have been, those days are long gone, and I am a huge fan of red lips, all day, every day, and year round.

Skin Transformation, Part 1

Those close to me would know that I have suffered with all kinds of different acne since I was about nine years old. My acne, you see, comes and goes in cycles, always. At the moment, my face is semi-clear, I get the occasional spot on my cheek about once a month. My neck and decolletage, however, are a very different story. For some reason, over the years, my acne seems to travel south. During my younger years, my forehead was the target, then my nose, cheeks, jawline, and now neck and chest areas. I really don't know why this is, my guess is hormonal induced. For the past two years, my hormones have been all over the place.

Eyeshadow of the month: Warm Metals

Warm metals you say? Yes, bronze and golden eyes! They are fabulous and I really love them at the moment. While it is not exactly gold on me, more of a bronze color with a hint of orange, I find it is the perfect contrast for my super dark brown eyes, perfect for summer, compliments my tan, and it is such a versatile look for many skin tones.

Real Techniques Giveaway

Hello Everyone!

I have a very special announcement!

I am so happy and thankful that my blog has had such tremendous world wide audience in such a short time, that in return I will be doing a giveaway!! It will be open internationally, so it doesn't matter where in the world you are, I will ship it to you! 

How to: Second Day Hair

Hello Everyone!

I know this post is kind of late for some of you, nevertheless you could always look back to this post next year! I, however, am still in need of hairstyles such as the one above. In case you are not familiar with Texas weather, then please allow me to enlighten you! Our summers, though this year has been wonderful, tend to be very hot and have been known to span all the way through October. When I saw this picture, I immediately thought "I must try this!" There was only one problem, I hadn't mastered the dutch braid. After several failed attempts, I finally got it!

Glittery Mint Nails

Hello Everyone!

Here is another tribute to my summer love: Green With Envy polish from Maybelline Color Show. In case you haven't read my previous post, let me tell you why I love this so much. First off, it is the perfect color that will compliment any skin tone. It can be paired with many other nail colors, art, etc., to produce beautiful fresh looks. Would you like to see more looks with this one color? I totally wouldn't mind doing it! Leave a comment below on what you would like to see!

Mint-Orange Nails

This summer, I've been loving the Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish in Green with Envy. I strongly believe it is a mint color that is universally flattering on all skin tones. It is highly pigmented and offers great coverage, and can be paired with many different colors, see above. 

The Eyebrows Post

Eyebrows seem to be the most neglected (or abused) feature of our face. First, there was the thin-as-possible trend,  then the bushy-as-can-be trend, and now we have met in the middle. Personally, I have been blessed and cursed in the eyebrow department. Except for the few hairs that grow between them, I don't do anything.

David Garrett

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to share something with you all. David is a German-American violinist and he is one of my favorite artists for many, many reasons! He and Marcus Wolf (guitarist) were in New York at LiveStream yesterday, recording a live chat session where they played a few pieces from his new album and answered fan's questions! He is such a great artist and free spirit, please check out his video. I promise, I am NOT being sponsored to write about him. I just really, really love and admire David! As a classical musician myself, I believe that his approach to classical music is such a friendly way to get younger people interested in the arts and in classical music! Please listen to the video and if you like it, share it! I believe music is super important in all aspects of life and is something that people of all ages can come together to enjoy! Click the link below.*

David Garrett on Livestream Sessions

Thanks!
-Mireya G.





*I don't know how long this link will be available. If it doesn't work and you want to listen to his music try YouTube, Pandora or Spotify channels with just his name. 

How To: Achieve Beautiful Nails

You might wonder why your nails are so prone to breakage, why your manicure never lasts or why they refuse to grow! I can't say I can solve all your nail problems, but I can give you a little insight as to why and what you can do to achieve picture perfect nails!

Tips for Oily skin

Hello Everyone!

Here are a few super quick, cheap, and easy tips to keep our oily complexions in check.

Arturo´s Bday

Hello Everybody!

Today is a very special day, it is my cousin Arturo's B-day, I just wanted to wish him the very best, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Moving on, today's look was achieved in about 10 minutes because I was in a rush to get out the door. I used the same techniques from the previous post but instead of using green eyeshadow, I opted for shimmery browns and a pretty bronze hue. I really wanted to keep my eye-makeup as neutral as

Tonight's skin care routine

Hello Everyone!

During this past week, I've been having trouble sleeping and the lack of sleep has left not only my internal clock out of whack, but also my skin. I am breaking out, my dark circles are getting darker, and my skin looks and feels terrible! Therefore, I decided to give myself a super quick 15 minute little at home facial to soothe my skin and hopefully get me sleepy!

Summer Look!

Hello Everybody!

How is everyone's Tuesday so far? I had a late start today, but no matter! Off to the store and work after that. Like this look? Stay tuned! I will update this post today to include step by step and products used!

About me

Hello Everyone! 

I thought I should probably begin by introducing myself. Well, my name is Mireya, I am a makeup lover and have been developing a love affair with hairstyles as of lately. I have also been very intrigued by several bloggers and their respective styles, tips, and product reviews that I will mention as I learn more about rules of  bloggin' ( is there such a thing? I don't know, I guess I will find out!). As you can see, this is my very first